Screw driver with screw holding jaws



Sept. 11, 1956 G. N. BRASEN 2,762,409

SCREW DRIVER WITH SCREW HOLDING JAWS Filed Nov. 15, 195:5

BY gum W MM,

United States PatentO SCREW DRIVE'R WITH SCREW HOLDING JAWS George N.Brasen, Albany, Calif. Application November 13, 1953, Serial No. 391,8242 Claims. (Cl. 145-52) This invention relates to a screw starter, andmore specifically provides a device having a screwdriver shank and ascrew gripping means wherein a screw may be easily inserted into somematerial, thereby avoiding the usual troublesome starting procedure.

An object of this invention is to provide a screw starter having meansfor securely gripping a screw and retaining a screwdriver bit in theslot of the screw wherein the screw may be easily started into itsdesired position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a screw starter having apair of spring arms for gripping the screw and means for gripping thescrew tighter when more pressure is applied to the screw.

A further important object of this invention is to pro vide spring meansfor holding a screw and to further provide spring means for retainingthe screwdriver bit in the slot of the screw.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a screw starterwhich is simple in construction, easy and eflicient in operation, andinexpensive to manufacture.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken substantially alongsection line 22 of Figure 1 showing details of the construction of thescrew starter;

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical section taken substantially alongsection line 33 of Figure 2;

perspective view of the screw starter of Figure 4 is a transverse,vertical section taken substantially along section line 44 of Figure 2;and

Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical section taken substantially alongsection line 5-5 of Figure 2 showing details of the spring fingers andscrewdriver bit.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that numeralgenerally designates the screw starter of this invention including asuitable elongated handle 12 having a longitudinal polygonal socket orbore 14 therein and a closed end portion 16. A polygonal sleeve 18 isinserted in the bore 14 and rigidly secured to the handle 12 with theinner end of the sleeve 18- being longitudinally spaced from the closedend portion 16. A U-shaped holder or member, generally indicated by thenumeral 20 including a pair of free resilient leg portions 22 and 2'4connected by a bight portion 26, is slidably received in the interior ofthe polygonal sleeve 18. The free leg portions 22 and 24 are inwardlycurved are provided with a semi-circular groove 30 which iscomplementary to the semi-circular groove 30 on the other free leg 24.It will be understood that the semi- 2,762,409 Pa -tented Sept. 11,1956

7 2 V circular grooves 30 form a circle for retaining a screw. Ascrewdriver shank 32 having apolygonal cross-section is slidablyreceived in the sleeve 18 and between the free leg portions 22 and 24 ofthe U shap'ed member 20. The screwdriver shank 32 is provided with ascrewdriver bit 34 at its outer end which is of a conventional nature.The inner end of the screwdriver shank 32 is provided with a circularreduced portion 36 forming a shoulder 38 in spaced relation to the innerend of the screwdriver shank 32. The bight portion 26 of the U-shapedmember 20 is provided with a suitable aperture for slidably receivingthe reduced portion'36 of the shank 32. A compression coil spring '40 ispositioned around the reduced portion 36 and abuts the interior of thebight portion 26 and the shoulder 38 wherein the screwdriver shank 32 isretained and urged towards the exterior of the sleeve 18. The portion ofthe reduced member 36 which projects through the bight portion 26 isprovided with a polygonal flange 42 held thereon by a suitable nut 44and it will be seen that the flange 42 extends about the inner peripheryof the longitudinal bore 14 and is slidable therein. The flange 42 islarger than the sleeve 18, thereby providing a limit for the outwardmovement of the screwdriver shank and U- shaped member with relation tothe sleeve 18.

In use, the shank 32 is retracted against the tension of the coil spring40 as may be necessary to facilitate the insertion of the headed endportion of a kerfed screw between the jaws 28. With the screw thusinserted, the bit 34 of the shank 32 is yieldingly' engaged in the kerfof said screw by the spring 40. Then, holding the screw and the holder20 in one hand and gripping the handle 12 in the other hand, the sleeve18 is moved forwardly on the resilient legs 22 and 24 of said holder forfirmly clamping the jaws 28 on the screw. Continued forward movement ofthe handle 12 engages the closed end 16 thereof with the elements 36 and44 for positively retaining the shank 32 in engagement with the screw.The screw may now be readily started in the work.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further ex planation is believed to sockettherein accommodating said sleeve, a polygonal shank slidablelongitudinally in the holder and including screw.

2. A screw driver of the character described comprising: a substantiallyU-shaped holder including resilient legs connected by a bight portion,said legs having eoacting. lens, on hei ree eds or rewir ng vend rinnina kerfed screw therebetween, a polygonal sleeve slidable longitudinallyon said legs for closing said jaws on the s rew, an elonset si endle fied: l n udin l y-e11 he s eeve and p ot stin h yo i one end hereo z, sid. han l ng en y en soqk t' e end ng ongitud a ly e e n r m, ne nd heeo s ommodat h s eev and te ing beyo d said o e d 0t said lee e, a poygon s a k moun ed.- o ong dinal l d ng m e: ment the holder andincluding; a, bit on'one end eneab in h c e Keri, s hank u e u ng a uc dner nd: p r i 1. rzw sl ng a s ld r a i sp n o aid re ce nd p on ng g d.w th he bight port on of he hold a d w th he ul o y l i gly a ne he hankw he c d. shank x ndin dab y h oug id bight p r n- Of s holder, saidholder slidably received in the socket to permit h l e t more al n h hoa d c se the jaws for positively retalning the shank in engagenentmwith,the. s rew when the sleeve in op rative position on the holder, and astop on said reduced end portion operable in the socket and engageablewith the inner end of the sleeve for limiting the movement of the shankunder the influence of the coil spring and for holding the shank andtherefore the holder in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS686,078 Johnson Nov. 5, l901 1,628,144 Herrmann May 10, 1927 1,912,317Stewart May 30, 1933 2,185,910 Cox Jan. 2, 1940 2,302,691 Green Nov. 24,1942 2,524,095 Williams Oct. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 29,395 GreatBritain Dec. 17, 1910

